Friday, March 14, 2014

At least three times already this year, crowds at the new Chicago Cubs stadium have smashed all-time Cactus League attendance records. But not everyone seemed eager at the outset to cash in on those fans and their money.

Kimco Realty, which owns the tax-subsidized Riverview shopping center across from the stadium on Dobson Road, created some bad vibes among baseball fans and Riverview Park patrons by initially banning non-customer parking at the center. At the same time, a competing center in Tempe offers free parking and game-day shuttle service.

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Having spent a long, long time studying the art and science of parking, I can tell you this - almost nothing inspires more emotion. This country is drunk on free parking.

The one saving grace here is that people usually expect to pay when they attend a sporting event, so the banning by the one center isn't so bads. Whether it is counterproductive, because there is sufficient space in the shopping center, and they might actually get some business if they allow it, I can't say.